Comments from vastor

I am so sorry, I forgot to post the details of Bill’s gathering. A few friends from all over gathered at the former Guild Theatre on Monday, June 10. We watched his documentary “Return to the Ritz, or, Thrilled to the Guild” and all present enjoyed listening to his inimitable voice and delivery once again. The documentary was made in 1990. Several friends from far and wide donated to have a cenotaph placed in his memory at Elmwood Cemetery. It has been ordered but not yet placed. The event is no longer posted on Facebook but a photo of the marker will be posted after it is placed.

Row of buildings on North Main taken in 2013. The orange sign at the end is the building which housed the Majestic/Empire theatre. A building formerly on the vacant lot just out of frame once housed the Queen Theatre. No traces of either remain.

It appears that the commercial section of Fort Pickering, the town/suburb where the DeSoto was, has become industrial development and interstate highway. No trace of just about anything before the interstate construction.

I was finally out that way and took photos. The mall and grounds are beautifully kept though the former cinema is boarded up. The outside shots show the rear of the cinema section with its manicured bushes. The mall was struck by a tornado on February 5, 2008, which caused damage to the center court atrium and adjacent tenant spaces. The Sears store, the Macy’s store, and the mall’s main entrance were heavily damaged; temporary repairs made at record speed allowed Sears to reopen on Sunday, February 10, 2008. Later in 2008, World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church began to progressively purchase the property, totaling $2.7M, including the empty Macy’s and Dillard’s stores. It is now a combination of retail and community services offices.

I am not surprised. Most of the “colored” movie theatres had some live entertainment and/or talent shows. I need to find that book since I have published a piece on “colored” balconies in this month’s Marquee magazine and have a book coming out with that included.

Also, it was the so-so business at the DeSoto and Kemmons' knack for the theatre business that led to the construction of the Airway, Summer Drive-In, and the W C Handy. Kemmons had a theatre serving each racial community within a few blocks of one another. The Airway on Lamar and the Handy on Park.

I just posted a new photo. This is a drawing of a theatre addition from the Memphis and Shelby County Board of Adjustment now in the Memphis and Shelby County Room of the Memphis Public Library and Information Center. Used with permission.

It is titled as a prospective addition to the Lamar Theatre but it is not the addition that was actually built. It is dated 1934 and greatly resembles the only image I have ever seen of the Rialto Theatre on Jackson in newsreel footage.

According to Sanborn Fire Maps, 253 N Main was near Exchange St, north of Main and Washington where the Hotel/Amuse Theatre was (in the postcard view). No photos have come to light of the Amuse U theatre.

“The Amuse U opened c. 1913 . Closed c. 1910
The AMUSE U, a Nickelodeon, is listed in the 1909 and 1910 Memphis Directories. Angelo Barrasso is listed as the Proprietor of Amuse U Theatre in the 1910 Directory. (He was also proprietor of Amuse U Soft Drinks at 123 S. 4th)
The Amuse U name is used again in 1933 for 1 year at 2424 Chelsea."

If the Amuse U Theatre was at 253 N Main St it was on the opposite side of Main from the business with the sign “Amuse” which shows in the post card photo associated with the above reference. The Theatorium/Majestic was next to the “Dinstuhl’s” sign which is on the EVEN side of Main St. (at 158 N. Main) the same side as the “Amuse” sign. They cannot be the same theatre if the above address is correct. The Hotel Read, also in the photo, has an address of 146 N. Main according to its entry on the same website. The “Amuse” sign appears to be on the Hotel Read building at 146 N. Main.